SIR WILLIAM WALTON, 80, BRITISH COMPOSER, DIES - NYTimes.com SIR WILLIAM WALTON, 80, BRITISH COMPOSER, DIES By R.W. APPLE Jr., Special to the New York Times Published: March 9, 1983 LONDON, March 8— Sir William Walton, one of the outstanding composers of the century, died today at his home on the island of Ischia, off the Italian coast. He was 80 years old. Sir William's wife, Susana, said he had died in her arms at about 7:30 A.M. after suffering a lung hemorrhage. The composer had been having heart and lung problems in recent months, his wife told his publisher, Christopher Morris, of the Oxford University Press in London. Although he was not a musical innovator in the class of Stravinsky or Schoenberg, and never attained quite the status of his countryman Benjamin Britten, Sir William had been considered a composer of the first rank almost since the first performance of his most famous work, ''Facade,'' in 1923.

It was written to accompany a program of satirical poems by Edith Sitwell. A small band played the music as she recited the the verses with a megaphone that protruded through the mouth of a huge head painted on a curtain that concealed her. His idiom at first startled and outraged the orthodox, but eventually he won a wide following here, on the Continent and in the United States with such works as the Viola Concerto (1929) and ''Belshazzar's Feast'' (1931), an oratorio for chorus, orchestra and two brass bands. Sir William twice wrote music for coronations: the ''Crown Imperial March'' for King George VI in 1937 and ''Orb and Sceptre'' for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Unusual Orchestral Sound The vibrant, stately chords of the ceremonial music reminded many admirers of Elgar. But Walton's orchestral music, with its rhythmic irregularities and romantic sonorities, had a sound all its own. In recent years, Sir William had written relatively little, and most of what he wrote was short. His postwar pieces never attained the acceptance of his earlier work.

But he kept at it until the end, spending four or five hours a day in the music room of his home on Ischia, and he only recently completed a ballet score for Sir Frederick Ashton, which includes new music as well as earlier material. William Turner Walton was born in Oldham, a mill town in Lancashire in northwestern England, on March 29, 1902. His father was a singing teacher and his mother a former singer, and the boy inherited a fine singing voice. The family had to struggle financially, but young William's voice provided his ticket to a wider world. He won a scholarship to the Cathedral Choir School at Christ Church, Oxford, and began composing simple pieces when he was barely in his teens. Encouraged by Sir Hugh Allen, organist of New College and later professor of music at the university, he had an early success with a piano quartet, completed when he was only 16.

He gained admission to Christ Church as an undergraduate - the youngest since Henry VIII, it was said - but he disliked what he described 50 years later as ''those damned exams.'' He failed to graduate because he missed the deadline for the required piece of composition, and he never got any better at composing in a hurry. Effect of a Friendship Perhaps the most important element of his Oxford experience was his friendship with the writer and esthete Sacheverell Sitwell. When he left Oxford, the eccentric, energetic Sitwells - Sacheverell, his sister Edith and his brother Osbert - took him in. For 15 years, he lived in their Chelsea home, an unofficial composer-in-residence with one of the most celebrated literary families of the 20th century. ''Scrounging,'' he said a few years ago, ''scrounging and borrowing and living off friends. That's how I lived in those early days.'' The first performance of ''Facade'' at Aeolian Hall in London caused a scandal. While it was being rehearsed, one if the instrumentalists asked whether he had anything personal against clarinetists. Noel Coward lampooned the piece and its lean, jazzy rhythms.

It soon became a huge popular success, part of the mythology of the Jazz Age, especially in the suites that Walton later arranged from the score. Persuaded by Sir Thomas Beecham, the conductor, to write a viola concerto, he sent the composition to the virtuoso Lionel Tertis, who sent it back in the next mail. Paul Hindemith, the German composer, played it at the premiere, and it became one of Tertis's favorites. But the early controversies were as nothing compared to that which surrounded the first performance of ''Belshazzar's Feast'' at the Leeds Festival of 1931. Beecham studied the score and told Walton: ''Since this work will never be performed, I advise you to throw in all you can.'' He added: ''Say a couple of brass bands for good and useless measure.'' Walton obliged. Then the festival choir, appalled by the intricacy of the piece, went on strike, relenting only when Sir Malcolm Sargent, a great musical diplomat, rushed up from London to placate them. It was an immediate success.

Ernest Newman, the greatest English critic of the day, said it ''burst with a very fury of exaltation.'' Symphonies in '35 and '60 Slowly, ever so slowly, the scores piled up. He completed his first symphony in 1935, writing most of it at Sacheverell Sitwell's house in Northamptonshire; the second did not appear until 1960. In 1939, Walton wrote a violin concerto for Jascha Heifetz; in 1956, he wrote a cello concerto for Gregor Piatagorsky. 1 Ischia.it english - Giardini La Mortella Ischia.it english Giardini la Mortella William Walton (Oldham, England, 1902 - Forio d'Ischia 1983) was one of the main British music composer of the 20th century. The artist settled in Forio, a picturesque suburb of the island of Ischia, where died in 1983. ‘La Mortella’ is a splendid garden, nowadays open to the public, created by Susana Walton, William’s wife.

In 1956 the famous landscape architect Russell Page planed the garden, set on the picturesque volcanic rocky settlements. La Mortella is divided into two parts: a lower garden, called ‘Valle’ and a more high one set on the top of a hill. The entire area stretches on about 2 hectares and hosts inside a rich collection of more than 3000 specimens of rare and exotic plants. Several sets of huge orchids, palms, cycas and tree ferns in tropical greenhouses. Great ability for a great flora in the garden design, rich in fountains, water pools, papyrus, lotus and tropical water lilies. The different zones of the garden are linked to many paths that lead to on the top, up to the amazing sights overlooking the bay of Forio. A part of the garden, rich in splendid lotus, hosts the Sala Thai, a meditation area, a pleasant stop to relax yourself. Inside the museum you find a prestigious collection of images by Cecil Beaton, the photo artist of the 20th century avant-garde. Also the great designer Lele Luttazzi has given his tribute, realizing a colourful farce.

At visitors disposal, there is a tearoom, shop and free parking. The garden is equipped to host the disabled. During the year, classical music performances in collaboration with national and international music schools delight the magic Mortella nights. How to reach Giardini la Mortella: The garden is situated in the municipality of Forio, near to the beach of San Francesco, loc. Zaro. Bus: From Ischia, Casamicciola and Lacco Ameno line CS, from Forio line CD or Giraforio line B. By sea: Hydrofoils from Naples, Molo Beverello or Mergellina to Ischia Porto or Forio. Ships from Napoli or Pozzuoli to Ischia Porto or Casamicciola Terme. Bus and ship timetable, on Here. Open from 31-03-2013 Visit Ischia | Giardini La Mortella Giardini La Mortella Share About Giardini La Mortella William Walton (Oldham, England, 1902 - Forio d'Ischia 1983) was one of the main British music composer of the 20th century.

The artist settled in Forio, a picturesque suburb of the island of Ischia, where died in 1983. ‘La Mortella’ is a splendid garden, nowadays open to the public, created by Susana Walton, William’s wife. In 1956 the famous landscape architect Russell Page planed the garden, set on the picturesque volcanic rocky settlements. La Mortella is divided into two parts: a lower garden, called ‘Valle’ and a more high one set on the top of a hill. The entire area stretches on about 2 hectares and hosts inside a rich collection of more than 3000 specimens of rare and exotic plants. Several sets of huge orchids, palms, cycas and tree ferns in tropical greenhouses. Great ability for a great flora in the garden design, rich in fountains, water pools, papyrus, lotus and tropical water lilies. The different zones of the garden are linked to many paths that lead to on the top, up to the amazing sights overlooking the bay of Forio. A part of the garden, rich in splendid lotus, hosts the Sala Thai, a meditation area, a pleasant stop to relax yourself.

Inside the museum you find a prestigious collection of images by Cecil Beaton, the photo artist of the 20th century avant-garde. Also the great designer Lele Luttazzi has given his tribute, realizing a colourful farce. At visitors disposal, there is a tearoom, shop and free parking. The garden is equipped to host the disabled. During the year, classical music performances in collaboration with national and international music schools delight the magic Mortella nights. How to reach us: The garden is situated in the municipality of Forio, near to the beach of San Francesco, loc. Zaro.

Bus: Susana Walton obituary | Music | The Guardian Classical music Susana Walton obituary Widow of Sir William Walton, guardian of the composer's legacy and creator of the garden at their home on the island of Ischia Susana Walton, 'a dashing figure in yet another outrageous Philip Treacy hat' Wednesday 24 March 2010 14.21 EDT First published on Wednesday 24 March 2010 14.21 EDT Share on Messenger Close Susana Walton, who has died aged 83, was a rare creature – a good composer's wife who became an even better composer's widow. Married for nearly 35 years to Sir William Walton, one of the most distinguished British composers of the 20th century, she proved to be the ideal companion when, in October 1949, the couple established themselves on Ischia, a volcanic island at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples. Eventually they built their own home there. The garden architect Russell Page designed the grounds, but the realisation of his project, including the choice of plants, was down to Susana.

After William's death in 1983, she fostered his reputation assiduously, organising tours and summer schools, and persuaded the Oxford University Press to institute a 26-volume complete edition of his works. She lectured (always wearing a new, fancy hat, having learned about eccentricity from Edith Sitwell) and, although she knew little about music, narrated various numbers of the entertainment Façade, Walton's early masterpiece which set poems by Sitwell to music – word-tangles imitating popular dance rhythms (foxtrot, tarantella, valse, tango, etc). She also set up the William Walton Foundation, with the twin objectives of supporting the vocational training of young musicians and caring for the garden at La Mortella (place of the myrtles) on Ischia. Susana continued to oversee the property until her death, most recently adding a Greek theatre, open to the sea and planted with varieties of creeping thyme, with a stage capable of accommodating an entire symphony orchestra. Susana Gil Passo was born in Argentina , where her father was a lawyer.

She was a bright child who could drive a car at the age of nine, taught by her mother, and through the presence of an English governess learned to speak English before she could Spanish. She had a determined spirit and decided to seek employment rather than wait for marriage, a decision her family was forced to accept. One day, in October 1948, while she was working for the British Council in Buenos Aires, she was told that she had to take care of an English composer who was coming to an international meeting of the Performing Rights Society. Though Susana had never heard of Walton, she had heard his music for the film Henry V (1944), which had been shown recently at the council. At the end of a dinner on the first day of the visit, William suggested going on to a nightclub. Susana pleaded that she was tired after a long day at the office, whereupon the 46-year-old composer suddenly said: "You will be very surprised, Miss Gil, to hear that I am going to marry you." "Don't be ridiculous, Dr Walton," she answered. The next morning he appeared at the office, asking her boss if she could take him on a shopping expedition.

Each morning he turned up with the same request and each day he proposed to her. After two weeks came a day when he did not propose. She asked him why. He said he had taken her refusals to heart, and would not be mentioning the matter again, which panicked her into encouraging him to ask one more time. He did so forthwith and was accepted. They were married in December 1948 and soon set off for London. When William was knighted a couple of years later, he wrote to Susana's rather hostile father, saying that he had only accepted the honour to make a lady of her. A telegram came back: "My daughter was a lady before you ever met her." Many of William's friends were flabbergasted that he married at all. It was a reaction, they thought, to his sadness at the death of Lady (Alice) Wimborne, his intimate friend and muse for some years, only a few months before the trip to Argentina. Partly because of the hostility he sensed towards a wife who knew little of the arts, and partly because he loved the country, William decided to go and live in Italy , where many of his friends, such as the Sitwells, lived.

William was about the most laid-back person imaginable; selfish, but with all the charm in the world. Like many artistic creators, he was ruthless in looking after number one. He had a delightful, sometimes devastating, black sense of humour. It was lucky that Susana adored him, because he could be fairly discouraging. He once told her she had piano legs. On their honeymoon, he informed her that there were to be no children. When she became pregnant, he insisted that she have an abortion. Amalfi was full of British expatriates, so an estate agent suggested Ischia, where they went and camped out for a couple of years in a converted convent. Susana sorted out arrangements there, dealt with the local authorities and found them a plot of land. This turned out to be the remains of a quarry, but eventually a handsome house was built, and was soon followed by the garden. It became a showpiece, and in time – after William's death – large cruise-liner parties would visit. Susana also built some holiday houses on the fringe of the garden. She ran the house and the estate while William retired to his music room.

Among the many visitors to La Mortella were Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Julian Bream, Malcolm Arnold and interesting locals such as Hans Werner Henze, Chester Kallman and WH Auden. Instead of crushing her, William's death seemed to give Susana a new lease of life. She could harry and nag, but she blossomed, organising events and stirring performers and promoters into action. Among her many honours, she was appointed MBE and a Grande Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana. She wrote two books: her memoir Behind the Façade (1988) and La Mortella: An Italian Garden Paradise (2002). The garden was transformed into a perennial monument to the genius and the personality of her husband. But she, too, has her memorial – the Nymphaeum, as she called it – a green enclosure of seats around a small concave dish that bubbles with water. The inscription reads: "This green arbour is dedicated to Susana, who loved tenderly, worked with passion and believed in immortality." A lively, capable and friendly lady, Susana performed wonders in William's name, and for him. She is survived by her brother, Harry.

Humphrey Burton writes: Susana Walton was the most formidable woman I ever encountered. I saw music publishers tremble and Italian civil servants blench before her assaults. She fought for her causes like a tigress. The building of the villas, and later of the studio-cum-museum and the student lodgings, were impressive achievements, and while serving as a trustee, I also came to admire her quick and logical mind, her linguistic and diplomatic skills and her sense of order – expressed at home in the tapestries she weaved and in the meticulous way in which she stored her vast collection of hats, shoes and silk dresses. Susana had the gift of creating a sense of occasion wherever she went. In the 1990s she loyally visited her husband's birthplace, Oldham, in Lancashire, for the annual Walton festival, turning it into a royal visit. At Yale University in the Walton centenary year of 2002, she presided with grace and majesty over a glittering festival which climaxed with the opening of a superb Walton manuscript exhibition at the Beinecke Library.

Typically, she also took part in a Yale performance of the complete Façade, in which I joined her as a speaker. She never quite forgave me for muffing an entry. She, on the other hand, was poised and, as ever, word-perfect, cutting a dashing figure in yet another outrageous Philip Treacy hat. Deprived of children of her own – the account of her abortion in her memoirs makes gruesome reading – she poured an almost maternal love into her garden, carved out of the Ischian rock face. To go round the garden with her was a genuinely life-enhancing experience: her knowledge and enthusiasm were contagious. From relatively modest beginnings, the garden became a major tourist attraction, boasting more than 1,000 varieties of plants and pulling in tens of thousands of visitors each season. In 2000 she brought the essence of La Mortella, including the magnificent Victoria orchid, to the Chelsea Flower Show in London, and when the Prince of Wales paid it a visit, her elation and sense of triumph matched what she must have felt at the premiere of a new work by her "darling William".

• Susana Valeria Rosa Maria Walton, composer's champion, born 30 August 1926; died 21 March 2010 3 DAYS TOUR OF ISCHIA ISLAND: HIKING, VISITING, SWIMMING AND EATING!!! - Rome explorers (Roma, RM) | Meetup 3 DAYS TOUR OF ISCHIA ISLAND: HIKING, VISITING, SWIMMING AND EATING!!! Roma Termini Station Dear Explorers, are you ready to spend three fantastic days in the amazing scenario of Ischia, the island of regeneration, of energies, of beauty and history? It is the largest of the three islands off the coast of Naples (Procida, Capri and Ischia) and more than holds its own in this trinity of beauty rising from the azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Ischia has a wealth of things to see and do from its fantastic beaches, thermal parks, gardensand historical sights such as Castello Aragonese and Giardini La Mortella.

And for the more urban minded visitor there is the elegant and traffic free town of Sant'Angelo with its characteristic boutiques, local pottery and hand-crafted merchandise!!! JOIN THIS TRIP...AND YOU'LL NEVER FORGET IT!!! WHAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE La Mortella Gardens William Walton (Oldham, England, 1902 - Forio d'Ischia 1983) was one of the main British music composer of the 20th century. The artist settled in Forio, a picturesque suburb of the island of Ischia, where died in 1983. ‘La Mortella’ is a splendid garden, nowadays open to the public, created by Susana Walton, William’s wife. In 1956 the famous landscape architect Russell Page planed the garden, set on the picturesque volcanic rocky settlements. La Mortella is divided into two parts: a lower garden, called ‘Valle’ and a more high one set on the top of a hill. The entire area stretches on about 2 hectares and hosts inside a rich collection of more than 3000 specimens of rare and exotic plants.

Several sets of huge orchids, palms, cycas and tree ferns in tropical greenhouses. Great ability for a great flora in the garden design, rich in fountains, water pools, papyrus, lotus and tropical water lilies. The different zones of the garden are linked to many paths that lead to on the top, up to the amazing sights overlooking the bay of Forio. Castello Aragonese Castello Aragonese is a medieval castle located in Ischia Ponte and is perhaps the most iconic and intriguing of all Ischia's sights. It dates back nearly 2,500 years when the original fortress was built by Hiero I, a tyrant from the Sicilian region of Syracusa. For modern-day visitors to Ischia, Castello Aragonese offers a fascinating glimpse in to the history of the island as well as providing a beautiful and dramatic addition to the landscape. Any trip to Ischia would be incomplete without paying a visit to Ischia Ponte where you can cross the bridge from the main square and visit the incredible citadel inside.

As well as the castle grounds there is also a Torture Museum which lays testament to the chequered past of this historic venue and offers some truly gruesome examples of implements that were used to extract confessions from prisoners. Hiking - Epomeo Mount Mount Epomeo is the highest mountain in Ischia and can be seen from most points on the Island. Standing 789 metres (2,589 ft), it towers above the rest of Ischia and is covered in lush greenery, with a few vineyards also occupying its slopes. Approximately 75 metres (246 ft) from the peak the mountain is covered in white lava. The origins of Mount Epomeo date back to the quaternary period when it was originally formed after an underwater eruption although it is not a volcano in the truest sense of the word, it is more the result of the uplift of magmatic masses from the seabed. In one of the tufa-stone caves dotted around the mountain a small church and hermitage were built in honour of Saint Nicholas . In this cave, monks and secular hermits from Ischia and further afield, lived in meditation while going about their daily tasks.

The church dates back to the beginning of the 15th century while the hermitage was dug around 1587. It was founded by Beatrice La Quadra, a Neopolitan noblewoman who also founded a convent in Castello Aragonese. We will go through one of the various paths and trails that allow the visitor to explore Mount Epomeo and the surrounding lower peaks. The Thermal Gardens and the Sea We sleep in Forio, one of the most beautiful village of the island. Citara, one of the biggest beaches in Ischia , is just outside the town of Forio . It's accessed from the main road and has a good selection of car parks, as well as plenty of cafes , restaurants and shops to keep you entertained. The other thing to note about Citara and Forio is that it's home to Poseidon Thermal Gardens which is one of Ischia's best thermal parks . Poseidon is a thermal park that takes advantage of Ischia's natural hot springs where visitors are able to use 22 different swimming and bathing pools, each with their own different temperatures.

With Ischia's volcanic activity bubbling away under the surface of the island, the thermal water used at Poseidon naturally flows into the complex at very high temperatures. The contrast in temperatures is most sharply felt at the Kneipp baths where you have a 15°C pool next to a 40°C pool. PROGRAM OF THE TOUR Day 1: Friday the 23th of September 9.26: Departure from Roma Termini Train station 11.29: Arrival in Naples Central Train station 12.30: Ferry from Molo Beverello to Ischia (SNAV or ALILAURO) 14.00: Accomodation in 3 stars hotel in Forio (double room, private bathroom) 15.00: Free Visit to Giardino La Mortella 17.30: English guided visit of Ischia Ponte (with Castello Aragonese) 20.30: Dinner in S.

Angelo village 23.30: Back to the hotel in Forio Day 2: Saturday the 24th of September 8.00: Breakfast 8.30: Bus to Ischia Porto 9.00: Starting of Excursion to Mount Epomeo (15 km., 800 m. difference in altitude, low-medium difficulty) 13.00: Packed lunch 16.30: Back to hotel in Forio, and relax in the swimming pool or on the beach!!! 20.30: Dinner in Forio Day 3: Sunday the 25th of September 9.00: Breakfast 9.30: Poseidon or Negombo Thermal Parks or beach Free Lunch 16.15: Ferry from Ischia to Naples (Alilauro) 18:30: Arrival in Naples 19:31: Train from Naples Train Station to Rome 21.30: Arrival in Rome MEETING POINT We meet in Roma Termini Train station, in front of train line 13, just out the check-in control, at 8.50 in the morning.

Please, be on time:-) We will have a signboard, we can't miss it!!! COSTS: The share of the 3 days is € 275 per person and includes: - Train from Rome to Naples and back - Ferry from Naples to Ischia and back - 2 nights in a three stars hotel in Forio with breakfast (double rooms and Swimming pool!!!) - 2 dinners at restaurants - English guided visit in Ischia Porto - English guide hiking - Entrance ticket to Giardini La Mortella and to Castello Aragonese - All island transport (shuttle bus, public bus, private bus) Not included: - Packed Lunch Thursday (first day) and lunch on the third day - Entrance ticket to Thermal Parks IMPORTANT NOTICE AND EQUIPMENT - The hiking is low-medium level of difficulty (hiking shoes are necessary) - Do not forget the packed-lunch for the first day - Be IN TIME the day of the departure - If you are vegetarian or you suffer from food allergy/intolerance, please let us know in advance This will be an extraordinary experience! We will spend three fantastic days together in the amazing scenario of the island of Ischia, enjoying nature, historical sites, fresh food, and thermal water!!!

SAVE THE DATE, EXPLORERS! Susana Walton, 83; gardener, wife of composer William Walton Susana Walton, 83 Susana Walton, 83; gardener, wife of composer William Walton Susana Walton transformed La Mortella into a lush memorial to her husband, William Walton. (Marvin Joseph/the Washington Post) Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, March 27, 2010 Susana Walton, 83, the colorful and devoted wife of the 20th-century composer William Walton, died March 21 at the couple's home on the Mediterranean island of Ischia. The cause of death was not reported. A passionate, green-thumbed gardener, Lady Walton transformed La Mortella (the place of the myrtles) from a rocky and arid hillside into a lush paradise, first as a creative oasis for her husband and, after his death in 1983, as a public garden and a living memorial to him and his music. The garden draws as many as 70,000 tourists a year. Susana Gil Passo was born in Buenos Aires in 1926 and educated by Spanish nuns.

She studied accountancy but, as a fluid English speaker, took a job with the British Council in the Argentine capital. The Waltons met at a conference in 1948 in Buenos Aires. William Walton was in his 40s, established both as a composer and a lady's man, and his future wife was a beautiful, spirited but sexually inexperienced 22-year-old with an independent streak. On seeing her, Walton is reputed to have turned to fellow delegate and composer Benjamin Britten and said, "I think I'll marry that girl over there." Her father, a prominent lawyer, was aghast, reportedly spending her dowry on champagne for wedding guests when she married eight weeks later. After a time in impoverished postwar London, the Waltons moved to Ischia, in the Bay of Naples, where they could live on a modest income in a warm climate. (The island also attracted other artists, including the poet W.H. Auden.) The Waltons rented a home before buying land to build La Mortella, where she faced formidable obstacles to her garden plans. At the time, the only water on the island came from cisterns or wells.

On a visit, the actor Laurence Olivier tried to talk her out of buying the property. But the site and climate couldn't overcome another force of nature: Susana Walton's determination. Working with the society landscape architect Russell Page, she slowly established a garden of dry-loving plants. After years of building the garden with homemade compost and with the arrival of piped water from mainland Italy, her ambitions widened. She added spectacular water features that included a fountain with a valve in William Walton's study. The composer could turn off the jet of water when it distracted him. She showed Page that she could grow moisture-loving tree ferns, which changed his plans for the garden, and she went on to cultivate thousands of exotic tender and hardy plants. In spite of her husband's romantic wanderings, Lady Walton remained steadfast, believing it her duty to create an environment that would allow the perennially tortured artist to write his music.

Long after his death, she referred to him as "darling William." In a Washington Post review of Susana Walton's memoir, "Behind the Facade," pianist and music critic Samuel Lipman wrote that William Walton "composed and received the adulation of the world; she planned and executed their domestic arrangements, superintended the building of their houses, the planting of their gardens, and diplomatically -- and often theatrically -- managed the thousand details of life in a foreign, albeit extravagantly beautiful, environment." This sense of personal theater was evident on her last trip to Washington, in 2006, when she attended a Kennedy Center performance of the composer's choral masterpiece, "Belshazzar's Feast," and lectured on her garden. Her repertoire included a series of colorful stories, dramatic bursts of laughter and shimmering gowns. She was always a fan of millinery, and toward the end of her life, she liked to wear the outlandish, feathery and kinetic hats of the designer Philip Treacy. After her husband's death, she established a foundation in his name to develop and protect the garden and create a center for music education and performance.

Into her 80s, she could be found working hard in the garden, if not in the soil herself then directing a team of gardeners. She was a firm believer in talking and gesturing to her plants, especially her beloved palm trees. "You have to wave at them when you go by because they think you haven't paid attention," she said. © 2010 The Washington Post Company William Walton - Writer - Films as Composer/Musical Director:, Publications William Walton - Writer William Walton - Writer Composer. Nationality: British. Born: William Turner Walton in Oldham, Lancashire, 29 March 1902. Education: Attended Cathedral Choir School, Christ Church College, Oxford, sent down; lived with the Sitwell family for fifteen years. Family: Married Susana Gil Passo, 1946.

Career: 1923—composed Facade , to poems by Edith Sitwell, other works include The Viola Concerto , 1929, Belshazzar's Feast oratorio, 1931, coronation marches for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II; 1935—composed first symphony; first film score, Escape Me Never . Died: On the island of Ischia, 8 March 1983. Films as Composer/Musical Director: As You Like It (Czinner) William Walton Major Barbara (Pascal) 1942 The First of the Few (Howard); The Foreman Went to France (Frend); Next of Kin (Dickinson); Went the Day Well? (Cavalcanti) 1944 "Battle in the Air" sequence of Battle of Britain (Hamilton) 1970 Craggs, Stewart R., William Walton , Oxford, 1977. Walton, Susana, William Walton: Behind the Facade , Oxford, 1988. Kennedy, Michael, Portrait of Walton , New York, 1998.

Craggs, Stewart R., editor, William Walton: Music & Literature , 1999. On WALTON: articles— National Film Theatre booklet (London), July 1982. Obituary in Variety (New York), 16 March 1983. Séquences (Montreal), no. 112, April 1983. New Statesman , 25 March 1988. Score (Lelystad, Netherlands), no. 75, June 1990 + filmo. Segnocinema (Vicenza), May-June 1995. Choice , January 2000. * * * William Walton was born in Oldham, Lancashire. His father was a choir-master and singing teacher and his mother had a fine contralto voice. By the age of 12 he was already composing music of his own and attended Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford. He quickly made his name as a composer during the glittering 1920s and was friend and confidante of Siegfried Sassoon, Constant Lambert, George Gershwin, Sir Thomas Beecham and Diaghilev.

All in all he composed the music to 14 films beginning in 1935 with a score for Escape Me Never , but he did not capture attention for his film work until the 1942 film The First of the Few with its famous "Prelude and Fugue for Spitfire." What marked him out for special attention and acclaim were the scores he wrote for three of Laurence Olivier's films, the most illustrious of which was for Henry V . It has been highly praised by music critics both as film music and as a concert suite in its own right. When the film was released in 1944, many music critics published detailed reviews of the score and extracts of it were presented at the Promenade concerts in 1945. Olivier's enchanting and spectacular historical pageant version of Shakespeare's patriotic epic is as memorable for Walton's sumptuous and rousing music as it is for its magnificent acting, directing, photography, sets and costumes, and most especially for the stirring music for the French cavalry charge at Agincourt. Walton's second collaboration with Olivier on a Shakespeare adaptation— Hamlet —was once again completely interlocked with the director's perception of it.

The mime within a mime scene has the soundtrack devoted to Walton's music. The third film with Olivier, Richard III , was remembered by Walton as "the fruit of mutual confidence and esteem." His final collaboration with Olivier came in 1970 when he wrote the score for Three Sisters where the music has a distinctly mellow, autumnal and muted feel to it in keeping with the tragic dimensions of the play. The year before, Walton had written the music for the film Battle of Britain but the score was not considered commercial enough and in the end only a small part of the original score was used—the "Battle in the Air" sequence—and for many years United Artists refused to release the original score for performance in spite of anguished letters from Walton's fans. Walton is one of this century's most celebrated British composers—he said of his contribution to cinema; "The value to a film of its musical score rests chiefly in the creation of mood, atmosphere, and the sense of period." No other British composer has given greater value to the films he worked on.

—Sylvia Paskin Susana Walton, 83; created garden for composer spouse - The Boston Globe Susana Walton, 83; created garden for composer spouse SUSANA WALTON Washington Post / March 29, 2010 E-mail this article Add a personal message:(80 character limit) Your E-mail: | Text size – + WASHINGTON — Susana Walton, 83, the colorful and devoted wife of the 20th-century composer William Walton, died March 21 at the couple’s home on the Mediterranean island of Ischia. The cause of death was not reported. A passionate, green-thumbed gardener, Lady Walton transformed La Mortella (the place of the myrtles) from a rocky and arid hillside into a lush paradise, first as a creative oasis for her husband and, after his death in 1983, as a public garden and a living memorial to him and his music. The garden draws as many as 70,000 tourists a year. Susana Gil Passo was born in Buenos Aires in 1926 and educated by Spanish nuns.

She studied accountancy but, as a fluent English speaker, took a job with the British Council in the Argentine capital. The Waltons met at a conference in 1948 in Buenos Aires. William Walton was in his 40s, established both as a composer and a lady’s man, and his future wife was a beautiful 22-year-old with an independent streak. On seeing her, Walton is reputed to have turned to fellow delegate and composer Benjamin Britten and said, “I think I’ll marry that girl over there.’’ Her father, a prominent lawyer, was aghast, reportedly spending her dowry on champagne for wedding guests when she married eight weeks later. After a time in impoverished postwar London, the Waltons moved to Ischia, in the Bay of Naples, where they could live on a modest income in a warm climate. (The island also attracted other artists, including the poet W.H. Auden.) The Waltons rented a home before buying land to build La Mortella, where she faced formidable obstacles to her garden plans. At the time, the only water on the island came from cisterns or wells. On a visit, the actor Laurence Olivier tried to talk her out of buying the property.

But the site and climate couldn’t overcome another force of nature: Susana Walton’s determination. Working with society landscape architect Russell Page, she slowly established a garden of dry-loving plants. After years of building the garden with homemade compost and with the arrival of piped water from mainland Italy, her ambitions widened. She added spectacular water features, including a fountain with a valve in William Walton’s study; the composer could turn off the jet of water when it distracted him. She showed Page that she could grow moisture-loving tree ferns, which changed his plans for the garden, and she went on to cultivate thousands of exotic tender and hardy plants. In spite of her husband’s romantic wanderings, Lady Walton remained steadfast, believing it her duty to create an environment that would allow the perennially tortured artist to write his music.

Long after his death, she referred to him as “darling William.’’ In a Washington Post review of Susana Walton’s memoir, “Behind the Facade,’’ pianist and music critic Samuel Lipman wrote that William Walton “composed and received the adulation of the world; she planned and executed their domestic arrangements, superintended the building of their houses, the planting of their gardens, and diplomatically — and often theatrically — managed the thousand details of life in a foreign, albeit extravagantly beautiful, environment.’’ This sense of personal theater was evident on her last trip to Washington, in 2006, when she attended a Kennedy Center performance of the composer’s choral masterpiece, “Belshazzar’s Feast,’’ and lectured on her garden. Her repertoire included colorful stories, dramatic bursts of laughter, and shimmering gowns. She was always a fan of millinery, and toward the end of her life, she liked to wear the outlandish, feathery hats of the designer Philip Treacy. After her husband’s death, she established a foundation in his name to develop and protect the garden and create a center for music education and performance.

Into her 80s, she could be found working hard in the garden, if not in the soil herself then directing a team of gardeners. She was a firm believer in talking and gesturing to her plants, especially her beloved palm trees. “You have to wave at them when you go by because they think you haven’t paid attention,’’ she said. © Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company. Advertisement beautiful gardens beautiful views - Review of Giardini La Mortella, Forio, Italy - TripAdvisor Review of Giardini La Mortella Via Francesco Calise 39, 80075 Forio, Isola d'Ischia, Italy +39 081 986220 Attraction details Recommended length of visit: 1-2 hours Owner description: La Mortella is the wonderful mediterranean and tropical garden developed by Susana Walton, the argentinian wife of the British composer Sir William Walton. It is located in Forio (Ischia) and can be visited on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 7 pm, from April through late October. Guided visits in the winter months - booking by telephone required.

Useful Information: Bathroom facilities, Wheelchair access, Food available for purchase There are newer reviews for this attraction “beautiful gardens beautiful views” Reviewed November 4, 2015 definitely worth a visit when youre in ischia even if youre not into different plant types! Most probably worth bringing a packed lunch for your visit the restaurant just isnt worth it Visited September 2015 Ask daniela222015 about Giardini La Mortella This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. 2,077 reviews from our community Visitor rating “A beautiful spot for nature (and music) lovers” Reviewed November 3, 2015 This is a lovely botanical garden on several levels on two levels lovingly shaped over years by Lady Walton, who was a keen gardener as well as by a landscape expert. There are plants from all over the world with some rare species. It is a lovely outing for anyone who likes plants. During weekends of the summer months and beyond, concerts are held by promising young musicians. Reservations are recommended.

Visited October 2015 Ask Marita B about Giardini La Mortella This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Clare38020 “Beautiful way to spend an afternoon” Reviewed October 31, 2015 My whole family said afterwards this is not something we would normally do but we all loved it! Beautiful gardens (even in the rain) and the restaurant was also great for a snack (we had bruchetta and tea and a mortella cocktail - all very good and not too expensive! Would recommend this garden to everyone, even if you aren't interested in gardens. Very nice views from the top too, it's worth the walk up! Visited October 2015 Ask Clare38020 about Giardini La Mortella This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. marfordtravellers “Giardini La Mortella on Ischia” Reviewed October 22, 2015 Visited the stunningly beautiful gardens on a sunny October day.

From the minute we entered the gardens, to walking up the many paths and stepped areas we were astounded by the beauty of the gardens created by Susana Walton, the flamboyant wife of the composer William Walton. What a shame we did not see a picture of the very start of the project! The plants are forever changing and their colours in the sunshine were wonderful. After a tasty lunch we walked to the sites of The Walton Memorials and took many photographs. As we paused for a rest, we chatted with a few people who, like us, were amazed by the work that had gone into the creation of such a vast garden with views that stretch for miles. A great day out! You don't have to be a garden specialist to visit Giardini Mortella. Just go and enjoy! Visited October 2015 “A unique and very interesting visit” Reviewed October 17, 2015 If you are on the island of Ischia then a visit to this garden is highly recommended whether you are a gardener or not. There are so many interesting features and stunning views from the high level terraces of the town of Forio and the bay.

If you are interested in plants then there is a truly eclectic mix of varieties from all over the world. This was the home of the classical composer William Walton and his wife Susana (who was the talented gardener responsible for many of the features) from 1949. The layout was designed by the landscape architect Russell Page in 1956 but Susana Walton continually improved the gardens throughout her lifetime until her death in 2010. The remains of William Walton (died 1983) and of Susana Walton are interred in the garden and there are moving monuments to both. The entrance fee was 12 euro each (September 2015). The visit was well worth this charge. We were there many hours. The grounds are on a steep rocky site with many steps between the various levels. There are three areas - the lower garden, the valley and the upper garden named "The Hill". The work that has gone into creating these dry-walled terraces must have been monumental. There are huge amounts of stone and pathways but all softened by the huge range of plants and trees from tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The garden plan that you receive on entrance lists 21 features.

There are many surprises! You would not expect a find a sizeable open-air Greek Theatre, an exotic bird aviary, a museum and classical recital hall, a puppet theatre, an exhibition of photographs by Cecil Beaton, a Thai Pavilion and a temple/grotto with saucy illustrations! There is also a shop and an excellent tea house which also serves snacks, salads and the like. After several hours we thought we had seen everything and headed back out the entrance but on checking the site plan realised that we had missed a section and went back in! The upper fountain and Victoria House containing a huge water lily is tucked away on the left as you enter the lower ticket office so do not miss it like we did! It is not obvious how to get to the garden if you do not know the island. If you are using the public buses, as we did, (which are always packed with everyone crushed together) then the number 1 or 2 or CS (the bus that goes anti-clockwise around the island from Ischia Porto) go through Casamicciola, Lacco Ameno and then on to Forio.

But you must get off well before Forio when you see a sharp left bend at a junction (Via Francesco Calise - the road that the garden entrance is on) and then walk the couple of hundred metres downhill to the graden entrance. This garden was one of the highlights of the island and we would strongly recommend it. Visited September 2015 Ischia and Mortella Gardens Full-Day Tour from Sorrento Ischia and Mortella Gardens Full-Day Tour from Sorrento Ischia and Mortella Gardens Full-Day Tour from Sorrento Product ID: 8665 Fetching... What You'll Do Spend a day on the beautiful volcanic island of Ischia, enjoying beautiful views and Mediterranean scenery Explore the exquisite foliage and fountains of Mortella Gardens, and admire its collection of rare fauna from around the world Tour much of magical Ischia Island, seeing charming villages with your guide Absolutely wonderful! Very enjoyable from beginning to end.Interesting Island and La Mortella is an amazing garden.Excellent guide and driver.I have beautiful memories of this trip. Kathleen from , United Kingdom Overview Explore the beautiful and rare La Mortella Gardens on the volcanic island of Ischia in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Admire the landscaped Mediterranean gardens and pools after seeing much of Ischia's incredible views and unique scenery on this tour from Sorrento. What to Expect After a free pick-up at your hotel in Sorrento, you'll be transferred to the port, where you'll meet your guide and start your day tour to Ischia. Enjoy the ferry ride out to Ischia Island across the placid Tyrrhenian Sea, followed by a guided tour of the island. Make your way through beautiful Mediterranean scenery and take in amazing views, as you see some of the oldest villages on the island. Upon reaching the town of Forio, you'll have 3 hours to explore the enchanting Mortella Gardens. Built into volcanic rock in 1949 by famous English composer Sir William Walton, La Mortella was the perfect private getaway where Walton could begin work on his opera "Troilus and Cressida." The lovely Mortella Gardens were created in 1956 by English landscape designer Russell Page. Extending over an area of 16,000 square meters (4 acres), this beautifully landscaped garden with pools and fountains contains thousands of specimens of rare Mediterranean plants from around the world.

Sir William Walton died in 1983; Lady Susana still lives at La Mortella. While enjoying the unique beauty of La Mortella, you'll be able to buy limited snacks and drinks. When your free time is finished, meet your guide and embark on a coach tour of another part of Ischia, before arriving at Ischia Port in time for the 17:30 boat back to Sorrento. What's Included

Question: Which British composer died in 1983 on the island of Ischia?
Answer: SIR WILLIAM WALTON